BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – The Club at Forest Ridge has showcased one of the best of the best golf courses in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area for some time, and it will soon have one of the best racquet facilities, too.
The club, which is managed by Bobby Jones Links – a premier manager and developer of private, public, and resort clubs – is set to open Phase 1 of a new climate-controlled Indoor Racquets Dome in September with other phases to follow. In the end, the club will have a completely new indoor tennis and pickleball center, complete with a pro shop and fitness center. For now, Forest Ridge will open a new dome that includes two indoor tennis courts as well as four pickleball courts to go with the club’s existing lighted outdoor amenities that include six tennis courts that are also lined for pickleball.
A Grand Opening event is scheduled for Sept. 19 – 21 at the new Indoor Racquets Dome with a full itinerary of fun events and competitions planned. Activities include:
Friday, Sept 19 (Members Only Events)
Saturday, Sept 20 (Open to the public)
9:00 AM–5:00 PM – Mixed Moneyball Pickleball Tournament (DUPR divisions)9:00 AM – Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament (6.0–8.0)5:00–8:00 PM – Pro Pickleball Exhibition & Meet & Greet with current PPA Pros
Sunday, Sept 21 (Open to the public)
1:00–6:00 PM – Pickleball Open Play
Registration is required to attend.
The new indoor, climate-controlled Dome has been designed to attract both new members and to develop the finest racquet club in the region. When fully complete, The Club at Forest Ridge intends to have the most sought-after racquet facilities in the area.
“We’re focused on making our racquets program one of the premier programs in the region,” said Dave Carlisle, the club’s general manager. “By building this new facility in phases, I think we will grow our membership and give them a place they can really be proud to call home.”
The club, which serves both a private membership and daily-fee clientele, offers a resort-style community owned by Joe Robson. The thousand-acre development, with its green spaces and recreation, was named to the “Top 100 Places to Retire” list by Where to Retire magazine recently. The Randy Heckenkemper-designed golf course, which is 7,110-yard par 72, first opened in 1989. The Ridge Club, the hub of all the social and athletic amenities for the club, opened in 2019.
Plans to one day further develop the Racquet Sports Pavilion include designs for a new tennis pro shop, locker rooms, and fitness center and have been put on the drawing board with no specific timeline.
In addition to the added courts, a big part of the new and improved racquet sports program are the new staff members who have been brought on board. The club hired one of the best tennis minds in the area about a year and half ago when it named Ben Lott, a former Division I tennis player and coach at Drake University, as its director of racquet sports. In turn, Lott, who has lived in the Tulsa area for a number of years (he was a graduate assistant coach for the men’s team at the University of Tulsa), recently hired James Moore as its head pickleball professional. Together, with the addition of the new facilities, they are building up both sports at The Club at Forest Ridge.
“It’s growing, and it’s growing quickly,” said Lott, who is originally from Newcastle, England.
While both pickleball and tennis are racquet sports, there are differences in the culture of both sports. The club has a strong presence in United States Tennis Association (USTA) leagues with numerous men’s, women’s and mixed teams competing. Lott also runs numerous drills for players of various levels.
Pickleball can be a bit more casual and is an easier entry for members who don’t have experience in either sport. It’s also more casual in terms of scheduling – you can often just show up and get into a game – but there are rules and techniques to be learned, which is where Moore comes in.
In both cases, the addition of the new facilities will be a gamechanger, Lott said.
“The biggest difference the indoor facility will make is that it converts Forest Ridge into a year-round program. Previously, we essentially had to shut down from December to February,” said Lott, adding that high temperatures in the summer will no longer be a deterrent to participation as well. “Now we’ve got consistency all year. That’s going to make a huge difference.”
Another draw is the fact that the dome has plenty of perimeter space around the courts. And the pickleball and tennis courts are on opposite sides with a seating area between the two.
High-level players are going to want to play on our courts,” Lott said.
When it’s all said and done, Forest Ridge could boast up to 18 outdoor tennis courts and four indoor tennis courts, as well as eight indoor pickleball courts.
The Club at Forest Ridge makes resort-style amenities accessible within a close-knit, inviting community atmosphere. Meanwhile, the tranquil natural setting of the Forest Ridge residential enclave, with homes constructed by many of Oklahoma’s top builders, features a 10-mile trail system, private lakes, and pristine parks, along with access to golf and dining.
The property was recognized in the Golfer’s Choice Awards from Golfpass (a division of Golf Channel, the Golfpass Golfer’s Choice Awards are the culmination of more than 300,000 reader votes). The Club at Forest Ridge was singled out as having “Top 25 Off Course Amenities.” The Forest Ridge residential development was voted “Best Subdivision” in the Tulsa Parade of Homes from 2019-2024 and “Best Residential Development” by Tulsa World in the 2019 “Best in the World” Contest.
For more information, visit ForestRidge.com.
About Bobby Jones Links
Bobby Jones Links is a privately owned club management company offering hands-on, turnkey operations management and advisory services to select daily fee, private, and semi-private clubs. Based in Atlanta with an office in Naples, FL, the company supports more than 40 properties in 12 states and is currently assisting with $120 million of new golf course construction. Visit www.bobbyjoneslinks.com to learn how Bobby Jones Links makes a difference for their clients and associates.
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